Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Holdich.

Councillor Cereste was in attendance as substitute.

          There were no declarations of interest made by Members of the Committee.

            Gillian Beasley advised that she would leave the meeting room when the Chief Executive’s Job description was being discussed during agenda item 4, and for the discussion relating to the Chief Executive’s pay scale during agenda item 5.

In accordance with Standing Orders, Members are asked to determine whether agenda item 5, Proposal to Review the Senior Manager Pay Scale, which contains exempt information relating to contemplated consultations or negotiations in connection with a labour relations matter arising between the authority and employees or office holders of the authority, as defined by Paragraph 4 of Schedule 12A of Part 1 of the Local Government Act 1972, should be exempt and the press and public excluded from the meeting when this report is discussed or whether the public interest in disclosing this information outweighs the public interest in maintaining the exemption.

          In accordance with Standing Orders, the Committee was asked to determine whether agenda item 5, Proposal to Review the Senior Manager Pay Scale, which contained exempt information relating to contemplated consultations or negotiations in connection with a labour relations matter arising between the authority and employees or office holders of the authority, as defined by Paragraph 4 of Schedule 12A of Part 1 of the Local Government Act 1972, should be exempt and the press and public excluded from the meeting when the report was discussed, or whether the public interest in disclosing the information outweighed the public interest in maintaining the exemption.

          The Committee unanimously agreed to the exclusion of the press and public for agenda item 5.  

            The Chief Executive presented a report to the Committee which provided further detail in relation to the job descriptions for those posts which formed part of the senior management restructure. The report followed the initial paper submitted to the Committee on 27 September 2013.

            The report sought the Committee’s approval for the proposed job descriptions for both the revised and newly created posts and provided an opportunity for the Committee to ensure that all the roles had job descriptions which accurately reflected the work undertaken and the standards expected of the post holder.

            The senior management restructure, proposed by the Chief Executive, had led to the creation of four new posts and the revision of four existing posts within the senior management structure. The job descriptions for the four new posts included:

·         Director of People;

·         Director of Place;

·         Director of Governance; and

·         Head of Corporate Property and Children’s Resources.

            The job descriptions for the four existing posts included:

·         Chief Executive;

·         Executive Director Resources;

·         Executive Director Children’s Services; and

·         Executive Director Adult Social Care and Health and Wellbeing.

            The Committee was advised that the job descriptions had been written by the Head of Human Resources using a standard template to ensure consistency and to facilitate the evaluation process. The job descriptions had subsequently been reviewed and approved by the Chief Executive, in consultation with the relevant portfolio holders, prior to submission to the Employment Committee for approval.

            The report further detailed the job evaluation process and it was advised that when new jobs were created, or responsibilities were changed, job descriptions were required to be evaluated in accordance with the process in place for senior managers, this being the ‘HAY Group Job Evaluation Method’. Following the evaluation process, a score was awarded which related to an agreed ‘Pay Scale’.

            Members were provided with a summary overview of the HAY process and it was advised that all of the jobs had been evaluated in draft form and the next stage of the process would be to consult all of the senior managers involved and to advise them of the relevant scores awarded.

            Following the scores being disclosed to the senior managers, there was a process of appeal in place, should a post holder be dissatisfied with the outcome of the evaluation.

            A separate report, agenda item 5, had been submitted to the Employment Committee to consider consultation on the revision of the ‘Senior Manager Pay Scale’.  If agreed, the revised pay scale would be applied to determine the remuneration of the posts.

            An overview was provided of each job description in turn and key points highlighted and discussed included:

i)      Chief Executive

·         In summary, the job description had been developed into a standardised style and other local authority Chief Executive job descriptions had been referenced to ensure a consistent approach had been adopted;

·         The tasks and duties detailed within the job description were similar to those detailed within the current job description;

·         The Chief Executive had statutory responsibility for school employees, regardless  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

          As agreed at agenda item 3, the meeting moved into exempt session.

          A report was submitted to the Employment Committee which contained a proposal to review the senior manager pay scale at Peterborough City Council, which had not been reviewed for a number of years.

          The proposal following a review of the senior management structure undertaken by the Chief Executive. 

          RESOLVED:

The Employment Committee agreed to commence consultation with senior managers regarding the implementation of a revised Senior Manager Pay Scale.

            Reasons for the decision:

            To ensure the Council operated within frameworks that were lawful, best practice, transparent and consistent.